Biomedical Engineering

The Master in Science Biomedical Engineering program is
jointly offered by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
(UTHSCSA) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).

The objective of the
program is to train students in the use of basic biomedical engineering
approaches for the investigation of
fundamental bioengineering questions associated with the diagnosis and
treatment of
human diseases.

The educational goals of this program are founded on the
belief that the basic scientific approach is critical to the
fundamental understanding of human health and the treatment of disease.
Students in this program have access to biosciences and bioengineering
laboratories
at both UTHSCSA and UTSA. Students interested in this program apply
through
UTSA.

Admission Requirements

Students who hold an undergraduate degree may apply to the program. The minimum requirements for admission to the Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering program are described below. Note that admission is very competitive and satisfying these requirements does not guarantee admission.

- Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in the last 60 semester credit hours of coursework with a major in a recognized science or engineering discipline. All students should have had sufficient background in engineering, chemistry, biology, and physics prior to being admitted to the program. It is expected that these students will have B.S. degrees with emphasis in either engineering, physical science, or biological science disciplines. All students are required to have completed at least 1 year of engineering (calculus-based) physics, 1 year of chemistry, 1 year of biology, and mathematics up to Differential Equations or Engineering Analysis I. Students with deficiencies in the above courses will be required to take selected courses as a condition of acceptance.

- A satisfactory score, as evaluated by the Admissions Committee for Biomedical Engineering, is required on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students whose native language is not English must achieve a minimum score of 550 (paper version)/79 (internet version) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The applicant's performance on a standardized test will be considered, in addition to other criteria, for admission or competitive scholarship awards and will not be used as the sole criterion for consideration of an applicant.

- Three Letters of Recommendation attesting to the applicant's readiness for graduate study are required.

- A complete application includes the application form, official transcripts, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, a résumé, and a statement of the applicant's research experience, interests, and goals. TOEFL scores are required for those applicants whose native language is not English. Additional information can be found at the
UTSA Graduate School "future students" website.

Program Students

Highly qualified students have been attracted to the program from its inception. Applications have been received from all over the United States, India, China, South Korea, Venezuela, and Italy. Students accepted into the program have come from many of the colleges and universities in San Antonio (UTSA, UTHSCSA, St. Mary's University, and Trinity University), as well as Texas (UT-Austin, Texas A & M, Southern Methodist University, and Rice), and neighboring states (Arizona State University, Tulane University, and Louisiana Tech). More distant from San Antonio, students have been accepted from North Carolina State University, Purdue University, and Florida Atlantic University as well as Zhejiang University and Indian Institute of Technology.

Admission into the program is selective with only about 45-50% of the applicants being offered admission. Enrollment has been a subset of those offered admission and has ranged from 40-80%. The average GRE scores of all students matriculating into the Program are Verbal 523 and Quantitative 716. The average GPA for the same cohort of students was 3.46 on a 4.0 scale. The racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the students is also one of the strengths of the BME Program and continues the historic role of both UTSA and UTHSCSA as minority-serving institutions within the state of Texas.

A number of mechanisms are used to financially support graduate students in the Program. All first year students are supported by Program funds through UTSA. After their first year, students are expected to have located a mentor who can support the remainder of their graduate studies. This support includes a number possible mechanisms such as NIH and NSF assistantships or training grants, fellowships provided through the Sloan Foundation, industry-sponsored projects, and other sources of discretionary funding available to the Supervising Professor.

Core Facilities

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) offer many resource facilities with biotechnology equipment and state-of-the art laboratories. The Biotechnology, Sciences and Engineering Building is a 220,000-square foot facility that won the Education Design Showcase 2006 award.

The newest building on the 1604 campus is the Applied Engineering and Technology Building. Administrative offices are located in the Applied Engineering and Technology Building in Room 1.102. The new building was completed in October 2009. This latest addition to our 1604 campus is comprised of laboratories and classrooms for College of Engineering students. It is 150,000 square feet and sits alongside the Biotechnology, Science, and Engineering Building (BSE).

Financial Aid and Housing

Masters Program: This Competitive Scholarship is for qualified M.S. students in the degree-seeking Biomedical Engineering Program. State law requires that each student identify any relation to a current member of The University of Texas System Board of Regents. A student who is related to a current member of the U.T. System Board of Regents is prohibited from receiving scholarships unless the scholarship is awarded exclusively based on academic merit or is an athletic scholarship. Click here for criteria and information.

Scholarships in Rehabilitation Medicine: Scholarships are available for both M.S. and Ph.D. research in rehabilitation medicine. If interested, please contact the BME Program office for additional information.

Other Financial Assistance: Teaching and research assistantships may also be available from research mentors. There are also financial aid opportunities such as the Beldon Scholarship, Mcnair & others.

Student Housing: At the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) students have a choice of on-campus housing options. The newest on-campus residences are Laurel Village and Chaparral Village. These two complexes offer apartment-style living with a choice of either two or four private bedrooms in an apartment with a living room and a kitchenette with a microwave, sink and full-size refrigerator (no stove/oven). These complexes are owned and managed by UTSA and residents are required to purchase meal plans.